Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Lipophilic Substances of the Leaves and Inflorescences of Centaurea scabiosa L.: Their Composition and Activity Against the Main Protease of SARS-CoV-2. / Kukina, Tatiana P.; Elshin, Ivan A.; Marenina, Maria K. et al.
In: Molecules, Vol. 30, No. 23, 4568, 27.11.2025.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Lipophilic Substances of the Leaves and Inflorescences of Centaurea scabiosa L.: Their Composition and Activity Against the Main Protease of SARS-CoV-2
AU - Kukina, Tatiana P.
AU - Elshin, Ivan A.
AU - Marenina, Maria K.
AU - Kolosova, Evgeniia A.
AU - Meshkova, Yulia V.
AU - Sal’nikova, Ol’ga I.
AU - Belenkaya, Svetlana V.
AU - Volosnikova, Ekaterina A.
AU - Khvostov, Mikhail V.
AU - Shcherbakov, Dmitry N.
N1 - This research was funded by grant from the Governor of the Altai Territory in the form of subsidies for the development of qualitatively new technologies and the creation of innovative products and services in the areas of processing and production of food products, pharmaceutical production, and biotechnology dated 19 November 2024, No. 30-2024-004229.
PY - 2025/11/27
Y1 - 2025/11/27
N2 - The composition of the lipophilic components of Centaurea scabiosa L. has been studied. The raw material was subjected to extraction with hexane and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) using both exhaustive and sequential schemes for a detailed characterization. The resulting extracts were fractionated into acidic and neutral components via treatment with alkali solutions. The acidic compounds were converted into methyl esters for subsequent gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, while the neutral unsaponifiable fractions were separated into groups of different polarities using column chromatography on silica gel. This approach enabled the identification of a complex profile of lipophilic substances. In the acidic fractions, aliphatic acids with chain lengths from C10 to C32, including unsaturated variants, were characterized. The neutral fractions revealed over compounds, encompassing n-alkanes, substantial levels of the unsaturated branched hydrocarbon squalene, and a diverse array of oxygenated terpenoids. The latter were mainly represented by highly active triterpene alcohols and ketones belonging to the ursane, oleanane, lupane, and cycloartane types. The sterol composition was dominated by β-sitosterol and accompanied by cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, stigmast-7-en-3-β-ol, fucosterol, and stigmastan-3-β-ol. Bioactivity screening demonstrated that several of the obtained lipophilic extracts, particularly those of lower polarity, exhibited high inhibitory activity against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, underscoring the potential of C. scabiosa as a valuable source of anti-coronavirus agents.
AB - The composition of the lipophilic components of Centaurea scabiosa L. has been studied. The raw material was subjected to extraction with hexane and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) using both exhaustive and sequential schemes for a detailed characterization. The resulting extracts were fractionated into acidic and neutral components via treatment with alkali solutions. The acidic compounds were converted into methyl esters for subsequent gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, while the neutral unsaponifiable fractions were separated into groups of different polarities using column chromatography on silica gel. This approach enabled the identification of a complex profile of lipophilic substances. In the acidic fractions, aliphatic acids with chain lengths from C10 to C32, including unsaturated variants, were characterized. The neutral fractions revealed over compounds, encompassing n-alkanes, substantial levels of the unsaturated branched hydrocarbon squalene, and a diverse array of oxygenated terpenoids. The latter were mainly represented by highly active triterpene alcohols and ketones belonging to the ursane, oleanane, lupane, and cycloartane types. The sterol composition was dominated by β-sitosterol and accompanied by cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, stigmast-7-en-3-β-ol, fucosterol, and stigmastan-3-β-ol. Bioactivity screening demonstrated that several of the obtained lipophilic extracts, particularly those of lower polarity, exhibited high inhibitory activity against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, underscoring the potential of C. scabiosa as a valuable source of anti-coronavirus agents.
KW - 3CL protease
KW - Centaurea scabiosaL
KW - GC-MS
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - cornflowers
KW - greater knapweed
KW - sterols
KW - triterpenoids
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105024612594
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/37bb4e7d-9fc4-3393-a25c-59f55bb83803/
U2 - 10.3390/molecules30234568
DO - 10.3390/molecules30234568
M3 - Article
C2 - 41375163
VL - 30
JO - Molecules
JF - Molecules
SN - 1420-3049
IS - 23
M1 - 4568
ER -
ID: 72692523